My Girl
by 0x0UnderDog0x0
Summary: The company is chased into Beorn's home and expects to find it empty and get some rest. What they hadn't counted on, however, is Beorn's woman waiting there, willing to offer them food and shelter. Beorn/OC, contains mature content, is a fluffy short story that follows the movies.
1. Meetings and Discoveries

AN: This is just a short fluffy story about Beorn and his girl. Let me know your thoughts on this story, and feel free to read my other one and provide constructive criticism. Thanks for taking the time to read, review, favorite, and/or follow if you decide to do so.

My Girl

One

The fifteen figures running from the forests and into the field held such panic in their hearts that the woman watching felt a small hint of their infectious fear as well.

She had been standing outside the wall with a stone in her calloused hands underneath the hot sun, tending to a crumbling section in hopes to mend the hole, and a sudden bout of rustling and hard breathing was heard at the edge of the woods, catching her attention quite abruptly. Naturally, her first worry was that the orcs had found them and intended to finish off the line of the Skin Changers, but before she could even consider preparing for a fight, they burst forth from the tree: thirteen dwarfs, a hobbit, and a wizard.

The odd group seemed to be together and heading straight for the quaint home, each running right behind the other in a nearly straight line—except for the largest dwarf who, ironically, bypassed everyone else and even began to lead them all in their haste. Acaelia didn't have to wonder what they were running from, for there were really only two things which could strike so much fear into someone: orcs, with their love of flesh, blood, and destruction, or the short tempered Skin Changer, Beorn. And from the roars in the distance and the smell on the air, Acaelia knew for certain that the fifteen were running from her bear.

Beorn had left earlier, muttering about feeling something unwelcomed moving in the forest, and told Acaelia to stay in the house and keep all of the doors locked in case something went wrong. She argued though that if something was wrong and he came running to her for help, she should keep the gate open. He only sighed and said that he could not control her actions, but there would be consequences either way, thus letting her keep the gate open.

Beorn was right, for her actions came with the consequence of the group running through that gate and into her home any second now.

Quickly dropping the stone, Acaelia ran into the house and began hiding everything valuable—they _were_ dwarfs after all, and there was no way that they wouldn't get into the cottage. They were known for their love of destroying or molding things, and with such occupations came both the knowledge of how to break doors down and the strength to do just that. She didn't bother to lower the gate either, just in case Beorn caught up to them and decided to have a second lunch.

She hid all of the coins, the jewelry, the important documents, and the family portraits into a loose board in the ceiling and quickly closed it back up. With dedicated haste she took up arms, grasping the large cleaver from the chopping board in both of her hands and strengthening her stance in preparation for whatever came through the door, be it friendly dwarfs seeking seclusion from the bear, or eager hunters looking to be recognized as the killers of the last Skin Changers.

By the time she'd done this, the dwarfs were pounding on the door and shouting bloody murder, to which Acaelia couldn't help but roll her eyes. Dwarfs tended to be quite dramatic, occasionally to such a point that they were too busy screaming and pushing with all their might to notice the simple door handle. She wouldn't help them open it though, not when their intentions remained unknown; in fact, their ignorance to the functionality of doors might even be a blessing.

"Open the door!"

"Quickly!"

Finally, just when the exclamations were at their highest point and Beorn was nearly upon them, the handle was turned and they all ran through, only to press back against the door in attempt to keep it closed. Acaelia stood still and winced as she watched her bear's head be squished between the two doors, silently apologizing for not helping him.

"Push!"

"Come on lads!"

The bear roared and shoved, practically crying out to Acaelia, but the group threw their weight even harder against the door until Beorn was forced to back away or be badly injured. She hoped that he would not be too upset with her—for not closing the gate, for letting the dwarfs get inside, for staying and protecting the house rather than fighting beside him.

The dwarfs then sighed and slumped against the door, asking one another if they were alright.

"What is that?" Ori asked Gandalf, seeming quite shock-shelled while looking up at the wizard. The wizard grinned a bit, looking at the company before him, and began to explain.

"That is our _host_ ; his name is Beorn. He's a skin changer…sometimes he's a huge black bear, sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with. However, he is not overly fond of dwarfs."

This was when Acaelia briefly asked herself if she should hide and wait for Beorn to come to her rescue, or make herself known and stand on her own. She wondered what would impress her bear more, and made the braver decision of the two.

"Neither am I." Acaelia said from the back of the room, announcing her presence and making the dwarfs jump in surprise. They quickly grabbed hold of their weapons and stood ready to fight, glaring down the unexpected woman. Gandalf turned, looking rather caught off guard himself.

"Oh, dear." The wizard muttered.

Before all fifteen of them was a tall brown-eyed woman who seemed to be of the Dúnedain race. Her skin was dark and dirty, marked with tiny white scars here and there, and she wore a working man's clothing. The most noticeable scar ran from her chin to the bottom of her eye and clearly had not healed correctly, although her oddest attribute was her waist-long black hair, combed and braided all to one side of her head.

"Who are you and why does my Beorn want you dead?"

Acaelia's tone was strong and her words demanding, but the cleaver she held slackened and her tense muscles relaxed just a bit. The fact that these dwarfs didn't know what Skin Changers were was good news, but it certainly didn't ensure her or Beorn's safety.

" _Your_ Beorn?" Gandalf repeated doubtfully.

"Yes, my Beorn." Acaelia shifted nervously before straightening her back proudly. "He is my bear and I am his girl; we belong to one another. You, however, belong to neither him nor I, therefore you do not belong here."

The dwarfs then began to grumble and mumble under their breaths, some speaking louder than others, while the hobbit looked rather uncomfortable where he stood at the wizard's side.

"Who are you?" Asked Thorin.

"Why are you here?" Asked Bofur.

"Gandalf never said anything about a _girl_." Seethed Dori.

"Are you another Skin Changer?" Asked Ori.

"We'd best kill it, just in case." Grumbled Dwalin, stepping forward with an axe in his hands.

The group grumbled in agreement and started to advance, much to Acaelia's fear. Gandalf looked on with his gray eyebrows raised, unsure if he agreed with the dwarfs or not. He'd never heard of this girl before, and she could easily be acting as Beorn's friend when really she meant the Skin Changer harm. He didn't bother to interfere because, overall, he was tired and caught off guard, not at all feeling up to directing the group's actions any longer.

Bilbo perked frightfully at the word "kill" and quickly shook his head, saying that no, there should be no killing whatsoever, but nobody would listen to him. Balin was clearly on the same page, though, and quickly calmed the crowd before anyone could do something rash.

"Wait a minute, now, wait _just_ a minute!" He shouted with his arms raised, gaining everyone's attention. "Clearly, we are intruding on the quiet life of miss…" he trailed off, looking up at the tall girl expectantly.

"Acaelia." She answered grudgingly.

"Miss Acaelia." Balin smiled kindly. "Let us not forget that _we_ are the ones who barged in here like a pack of rabid wargs, and that she has every right to protect her home."

The others began to hesitantly lower their weapons. Bilbo nodded in agreement and put his hands on his hips.

"Yes, I agree; we are being quite rude and making a—a _horrible_ first impression." The hobbit stuttered before turning to the tall woman and bravely stepping up to her with his hand outstretched.

"Hello Acaelia, my name is Bilbo Baggins, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance." With his head tilted almost all the way back, he was sure to make eye contact and smile in the friendliest way he knew. Bilbo also tried to ignore that she still had the rather large and menacing cleaver in her hands.

The group of dwarfs watched very closely for what Acaelia would do next, some gripping their weapons in case she did anything funny. Thorin lifted his chin a bit and eyed the girl with a haughty air, just waiting for something to go wrong. The wizard, however, was lazily lighting his pipe as he leaned against the wall, paying only minimal attention to what was happening around him.

The Skin Changer looked at the tiny hand before her and decided to play nice, so long as they would behave. She reached out and grasped his small wrist firmly, but not hard enough to break his arm, and wait for him to reciprocate.

Bilbo was confused a bit at first, not familiar with this sort of greeting, and then tried to copy her to the best of his ability, even though her arm was as thick as a tree branch compared to his.

"The pleasure would be mine, if only I knew why you are in my home."

"Oh! Well, you see—" Bilbo started before he was cut off by Thorin.

"We are running from orcs and demand refuge."

Acaelia's brown eyes widened.

"Orcs?"

Then Beorn had been right about something being in the forest, and it wasn't just the fifteen before her. A slight headache started to boom behind her eyes and she held her palm against her forehead with a wince.

"How closely did they follow—did they come near the house?" The girl stomped past them all and looked out of a large window, searching the field and the forest's edge. She saw nothing, but her eyes weren't nearly as good as Beorn's.

"They weren't far behind when they stopped following us through the woods."

"Beorn scared them off, then." Turning away from the window, Acaelia gazed down at the dwarfs and quickly made a decision.

Never would she gladly forsake anyone to the torturous ways of orcs, unless they tried to do the same to her or Beorn, and while the fifteen in her home could easily be a threat to her, she found the hobbit kind and deserving enough of her hospitality. So long as they behaved, they would find safety in these walls.

"You may find refuge here for the night, but when my bear comes back, he will be the one deciding your fate. Until then, relax and allow me to make you a meal."

She led them through the house and into the dining room where they all had to climb onto the chairs and benches. They stripped off their weapons, boots, and armor, each offering their name and a handshake to Acaelia as she came by to collect and put their things away. Through the pounding in her head she fought to remember all fifteen of her guests' names, but it was not proving to be an easy task.

After they made themselves comfortable at the table, they all began to recall how Bombur managed to outrun each and every one of them, laughing and teasing as they did so. They looked very amusing in such a large place, their heads just barely poking over the top of the table and their legs hanging almost a meter off of the ground.

The only one that did not sit at the table with the others was Gandalf, who still felt a slight mistrust towards Acaelia; he decided to sit in the giant rocking chair in the corner as he smoked his pipe. It would be easy for her to convince the dwarfs to kill Beorn when he came home, or even easier for her to poison them all so she could do the killing herself. The possibility that she was a spy sent to kill the last Skin Changer was still too great, and until she proved otherwise, Gandalf would keep a close watch on her.

Acaelia was in the kitchen, cooking a meal that might as well be fit for a king, and smiled to herself as she listened to the dwarfs laugh and shout at one another.

She did not hold the same distaste that Beorn had for dwarfs—he thought them violent, ignorant, and selfish—because never had she been mistreated by one of their sort. She had been born and raised in Dale, before the dragon took over, and always the dwarfs there treated her with kind respect when she met them. Acaelia thought them funny and very entertaining, and even saw them as hard workers and dedicated friends.

No, she didn't have a single issue with the little hairy things sitting at her dining table, but the wizard in her rocking chair was a different subject all together. She knew that the wizard thought her a liar or cheat of some sort and wondered if she should bother to amend such an issue. Would he really be here long enough for his opinion to matter?

"Here we are, my friends." Acaelia said with a smile as she brought three plates of chicken, cooked veggies, and potato salad to set them down in the center of the table. The others eyed the large sums of food greedily and dished up without having to be told to do so.

"Enjoy." She said and was given many thanks and compliments before going back into the kitchen, where her thoughts continued.

They would all probably be gone within the first rays of tomorrow's daylight, and while she did want to keep them happy and friendly while they were here, it didn't seem worth trying to sway the wizard's mind if it was already made. Although, it wouldn't hurt to ask why Gandalf was so opposed to her, Acaelia figured.

"Oh, miss Acaelia, this is the best chicken that has ever touched my tongue." Bofur said around a mouthful.

"Aye, and this salad must have been made by the Valar." Gloin groaned.

"And I do admit that this wine has an _exquisite_ flavor to its airiness." Dori said in a gaudy tone.

Acaelia chuckled and looked at them over her shoulder from the kitchen.

"Well, I am certainly flattered that you all think so. If there is anything else I can get you, feel free to let me know."

A hush fell over the table's occupants for only a millisecond before they all leaned closely in and began whispering to one another over the table, Bilbo trying desperately to take part in it. His head kept popping out to awkwardly smile at Gandalf and Acaelia, then back in, and then back out again before he was finally pulled down and held there.

Words like "pumpkin" and "cherry" could be overheard, but other than that, it was unknown what they were really muttering about.

Acaelia's brows rose in an amused bewilderment and she looked at Gandalf in his corner to see him smoking his pipe with a grin. They all parted again and went back to eating, as if nothing had just happened. Bilbo cleared his throat to get Acaelia's attention and he wiggled a bit before speaking nervously.

"We were hoping that—if it isn't much of a trouble that is—you might bake us a pie." He was jostled by Nori's elbow. "A-an apple pie, to be precise." He stuttered.

"Well of course I'll bake you all an apple pie. And since Bilbo was the one brave enough to ask, he'll get the biggest slice."

The group groaned and muttered about how unfair that was. Acaelia chuckled and turned back to the counter top she had been cleaning.

Beorn and Acaelia hadn't had any visitors for nearly six years now, and the girl found herself missing the noise of people talking to one another, of furniture moving haphazardly about and silverware tinkling against tabletops and plates. This yearning for company had gone unnoticed until just now, and she realized that her home was quite lonely, even when Beorn was present. Maybe their guests could stay a day or two longer…no, her bear would never stand for it.

Perhaps she just needed to pay another visit to the men of Rohan, where her sister safely resides. Constantly, Acaelia tried to convince Beorn to come and see her sister Quwen in Rohan, but he refused to leave the lands unprotected. If Quwen weren't so terrified of traveling, she would have loved to see Acaelia and Beorn in their cottage, but that never seemed possible, so Acaelia went to Rohan once or twice a year to see her sister. It was a bit saddening for Acaelia that she had to travel alone, and that her bear and her sister would never meet one another, which was why she didn't make the trip very often.

In the middle of chopping apples for the pie, Acaelia's headache suddenly hit her ten times harder and her stomach lurched. There had been no warning, and everything she held was tossed down as she ran off. Quickly rushing out the side door, she fell to her knees in the grass and just barely brushed her hair out of the way before she retched painfully, tears leaking out of the sides of her eyes while her gut was emptied. Acaelia barely had time to catch her breath between heaves and felt a slight panic start up as the possibility of asphyxiation became greater and greater.

Through the hurls and harsh breathing, Acaelia could hear chairs scraping and tiny feet running towards her. She found that it was easier to breathe now, and that she was mostly dry heaving, and forced herself to hastily finish, not wanting to ruin their dinner with the sight of her being sick. She spat out the taste of bile that lingered in her mouth.

"Acaelia? Are you alright?" Bilbo asked worriedly as he stepped through the doorway to rub her back, the thirteen dwarfs behind him trying to see what was happening. Acaelia took many deep, shaky breaths and sat back, closing her eyes and holding the back of her hand to her mouth.

"I am fine, Bilbo, just a little queasy. Go back and finish your dinner, all of you, before it gets cold." She croaked and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. They all hesitated, not believing her, and tried to huddle closer, but the hobbit turned around and began pushing them all back inside the house.

"Alright you lot, you heard her. Go on now, give the poor girl a moment to herself. I'm sure she needs some air, so get back, get." He shoo'ed them all away, but didn't move from her side. Acaelia wiped the last of her tears away and stood on uneasy legs.

Bilbo stood there with his arms crossed, looking quite pleased that he'd managed to shoo away a group of tough dwarfs, and kept his back to Acaelia. He jumped a bit when her huge hand engulfed his shoulder. Looking up, the hobbit saw her small yet genuine smile and felt even more accomplished.

"Thank you for that, Bilbo, but you should go finish eating as well."

"If…if you're certain that you are alright?" He asked nervously, shifting his weight anxiously.

"I am alright my friend, I promise."

At least her headache was gone.

Acaelia walked with him back inside and gently urged him to go on into the dining room with the others, giving him a reassuring grin when he looked back at her, before washing her hands and slowly going back to the pie. Slicing more apples and adding spices, Acaelia began to feel more in her element once again.

Lately, she had been feeling sicker and sicker with constant headaches, bouts of dizziness, and her stomach could hardly hold down one meal per day. She had an idea of what the cause could be, but didn't want to think or talk about it, not until Beorn was with her to help her through it.

"Would you like any help?" The deep, grumbling voice of Gandalf suddenly asked from beside her. She jumped in surprise and dropped her knife on the cutting board. She momentarily also noted that her mind constantly wandered now, keeping her from paying attention the things transpiring around her.

"Oh, no, I'm fine here, thank you though." Acaelia stuttered before going back to cooking.

"Good!" Gandalf said cheerfully. "I'm a terrible cook, and wouldn't want to ruin desert."

Acaelia gave the wizard a sideways glance and quietly chuckled.

"Is there something I can help you with?" She asked, wondering why he'd offer to help cooking when he had no actual intention of doing so.

"Have they run out of food?"

Gandalf shook his head with a light laugh and leaned against his staff to watch her cook.

"No, and I don't suppose they will any time soon. In fact, they might not have enough room in their tiny bellies for pie."

"More for you and I then." She said with a smile, happy that he was acting more kindly towards her. She wasn't sure what brought it on—maybe seeing her ill had earned her pity—but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Then, looking over her shoulder at the group of tiny men, she lowered her voice. "They are very small though, aren't they?"

The wizard laughed heartily and nodded.

"Yes, I believe that they _are_ quite miniature." He sighed but let the smile stay on his aged face. Looking up at Acaelia, he realized that she had to be at least two inches taller than him, and he was a rather tall individual. "Or, perhaps the rest of the world is simply too big."

Grinning, the girl placed the pie in the oven and worried if she should make another for when Beorn came home. He did have a love for her honey pie after all, and maybe a few slices of it would calm his heart at the thought of dwarfs in their home. Her mind made up, she began on the crust.

"Either way, I'm certain that their courage and might are greater than most peoples'." Acaelia said with a hint of appreciation.

The wizard scoffed light-heartedly.

"Mighty and courageous creatures do not run and shout mindlessly when a dim-witted bear chases them through the woods."

Acaelia paused in her baking and shot Gandalf such a stern expression that his breath caught in his throat. Stuttering, he quickly meant to amend the damage his words could have caused.

"I meant no offense, of course; surely Beorn is the cleverest of us all, as a man _or_ a bear."

Lifting a petite eyebrow, Acaelia made a sound in her throat that was neither forgiving nor irritable and went back to the pie. Gandalf relaxed and moved to the other side of her, seeing a bowl of large ripe grapes.

"Oh, may I?" He asked right before he'd taken one. Acaelia nodded carelessly. "Thank you. And might I also inquire as to exactly what you are?"

"What do you mean?" She asked distractedly.

"What race are you? Clearly you're not a dwarf, hobbit, or elf, but that seems to be all that I am able to tell."

Acaelia sighed but decided that she might as well explain herself, no matter how irritating it was to do so.

"I am a quarter Skin Changer. My grandfather was one, but married a human woman and gave birth to my mother, a halfblood. She married a human man and they had me. I may have the blood of a Skin Changer in me, but I don't have nearly as many of the amazing abilities that they do."

"Such as?" Gandalf prompted, hoping she would explain further. If he was going to trust her, to let his guard down and no longer fear for his safety or the safety of the others, he needed to know more about her. So far, she hadn't hinted at wanting the death of Beorn or the company, and had even shown weakness by letting Bilbo comfort her after being sick. Nobody was feeling uneasy or lightheaded from her food or drink, and their weapons were all right where she left them, so Gandalf decided to give her a shot.

She took a deep breath in preparation for revealing herself. It never was a pleasant thing, talking about what the change did to her.

"My whole body cannot change like theirs, only parts, and the change is more painful for me. My senses are sharper than a human's, but not nearly as good as a pureblood's. I can understand the things that animals say and do, but they cannot understand me. I do not heal as fast and I will not live as long. Beorn and I do, however, think that if I were to reproduce with another Skin Changer, my child would be that of a pureblood's rather than a halfblood."

"And is that why you live with Beorn? To reproduce and save the line of Skin Changers?" The wizard asked casually before plopping another fat grape into his mouth. Acaelia slowed in her mixing of the honey ingredients as she thought hard about what her response would be.

"The intentions behind Beorn taking me in and keeping me are unknown. If we have a child together, then we will gladly raise and protect it. If not, then we will be happy even if we only have one another for the rest of our lives." She went right back to baking, and something in her tone suggested that she wanted to speak no more of it.

The wizard mentioned no more of it, sensing Acaelia's irritation, and reminded himself that there were limits that even he had to acknowledge.

He had a difficult time deciphering what the relationship between Beorn and Acaelia was—if they were romantic together or just friendly, or even if they treated one another as family more than anything. Skin Changers and their habits had always been a slight fascination to the wizard, and he always wanted to know more about them. It really was a shame that Beorn was the last of his kind—or close to it, anyways.

"Whose thought was it for you all to come here?" Acaelia asked out of the blue.

"The thought was mine, naturally." He explained cheerily around a grape. "I have heard many stories about Beorn, and the moment I was told of some threatening thing in the woods other than orcs, I knew it would be him." He swallowed the grape and dabbed some juice off of his mouth with the end of his long gray beard.

"So many stories…it almost feels as if I know Beorn on a personal level, strange as it sounds."

"My father once pulled a gold coin out from behind my ear," Acaelia said, "does that make him a wizard?"

"Well, no, of course not!" Gandalf said, confused. "That makes hardly any sense."

"Just like hearing stories of someone makes you close to them makes hardly any sense."

Her words and the meaning behind them suddenly came together, and Gandalf smiled in embarrassment.

"Ah, I see your point." Gandalf sighed. "I suppose that you are correct. And I must take a moment to thank you for allowing us to stay here, even though you know not who we are. It is a great risk to do such a thing, and you are a brave girl. I led the others here, expecting that the man wouldn't mind letting us stay, regardless of the territorial issues that the bear would undoubtedly feel. Had I known Beorn had a _mate_ , however—"

Acaelia's palm slammed down onto the cutting board so fast and hard that the wood splintered and cracked under her skin, and the enormous **_slap!_** that sounded through the house ceased all conversation. Her back was hunched and her head lowered, making her looked both menacing and ugly at the same time. The tips of her fingers dug into the board furiously, making curved imprints into the already damaged wood, and she took slow deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself.

Gandalf had been so shocked by this sudden display of seething ire that he lost grip of his staff and almost let it fall to the ground. He stuttered, trying to ask Acaelia what was the matter, but the words just couldn't sort themselves out.

The dwarfs all turned in their seats and watched with wide and frightful eyes—all except for Thorin and Dwalin, who looked ready to fend off the angry woman at a moment's notice, and Balin, who simply looked on with an old and tired frown. Bilbo was the only one who dared to get out of his seat, but Dwalin grasped hold of his shirt and held the hobbit back when he walked past.

"Acaelia, I-I never meant—" Gandalf tried to say before his ramblings were cut off.

"If you know Beorn for as well as you claim," she spoke in a dangerously quiet yet uneven tone that could be heard by all in the house, "then you should know better than to confuse the _animal_ with the _human_."

Most of the dwarfs looked at one another in confusion and curiosity, wondering what the wizard had said to trigger such a reaction. Acaelia had been so kind and motherly, so patient and welcoming to the group even after they had practically torn her door down, and couldn't imagine what had been said to upset her so.

Bilbo tried hard to free himself of Dwalin's grasp, yearning to confront Gandalf and tell him to mind his own business and for once in his life not stir up trouble.

"The girl standing before you is a human, and that is all you will see me as _unless_ I make the change." Acaelia hissed.

"I bake and manage the garden, I sew and clean the house, and I speak and think and live as a human does." Her words started to grow in volume and speed.

"I do not _snarl_ and _rut_ ; I do not carry children by the scruff of their neck or piss on walls to make my claim; I do not go into a frenzied heat and search for a _mate_." She spat the word, her whole body tense and practically shaking with outrage.

Gandalf paid close attention to the things she said and now understood the line which he had crossed. The wizard felt horrible for causing such strong emotions in Acaelia, for talking as carelessly as any common idiot that did not care for her feelings.

"I am terribly sorry, Acaelia, you are right. I should have known better and watched my words, but it seems that I was not thinking right." Even though he stuttered, it was clear that his apology was honest and true.

Her shoulders shuddered as she took a big gulp of air, held it, and let it out slowly to try and soothe her nerves. She had nearly made the change, and while she was hardly as brilliant or beautiful as Beorn's bear, she could have easily showed them what it really was to be the animal.

"I understand your mistake, and I forgive you for it." She said nicely, finally looking up from the cutting board and into Gandalf's weary eyes.

"I will not, however, forgive future mistakes from _any_ of you." It was clear that she addressed everyone there when she spoke. "We will not be called _animals_ or _creatures_ , nor will we be treated as such. And I will most _certainly_ not hear any ignorant talk of our other selves when Beorn is nearby. Already, he has been harshly judged for what his blood makes him, but no more will he deal with such nonsense—not in his own home!"

Slamming her closed fist into the cutting board—not nearly as harshly as the first time, but still violent enough to make the dwarfs wince once more—she turned in place and stared down every member of the company with strict eyes.

"Am I clear?" Acaelia asked in a strong voice.

The dwarfs were quick to nod reassuringly and mumble their agreements.

"Yes ma'am." Kili hurriedly exclaimed.

"Crystal." Fili coughed.

"Oh, absolutely!" Bofur nodded.

Even Thorin, the ever quiet, brooding, and cryptic dwarf, nodded with pursed lips and found it hard to keep eye contact with Acaelia. She would have been an intimidating person even if she were a tiny hobbit lady, and everyone knew it.

After a few breaths, her stern expression cooled into a sad smile.

"Right. Now, who wants some pie?" She asked before turning and pulling the apple pie from the oven and placing it on the table. The dwarfs each forced a cheer and went after a slice, eager to put this behind them and act as if she'd never had an outburst.

Once she came back into the kitchen and placed the honey pie in the oven to bake, Acaelia placed her hands on the counter and leaned against it, taking quick labored breaths. Her headache was back once again, and she just felt extremely overwhelmed.

Where that outburst had come from, she had no idea, but she regretted it greatly and felt extremely embarrassed. Never had she taken anything so personally, never had she thrown a fit of that sort, and it made her more than weary.

Gandalf put a careful hand to her back and gave it a slight rub, curious if she was sicker than she seemed or just having a rather exciting day.

"My dear," the wizard said quietly, "I cannot tell you how sorry I am for upsetting you."

When she turned and looked at him, he was surprised to see the tears on her cheeks and hear her sniffling.

"Oh—oh no. None of that, darling. Come on now, none of that." Gandalf said with guilt weighing heavily on him. He pulled her in for a hug and patted her back as he hushed her.

Bilbo, after Dwalin released him in favor for some apple pie, watched the wizard and Skin Changer even though he couldn't hear what they were saying. Once he saw Acaelia's tears, though, Bilbo's mind was made up and he quickly stepped up to Acaelia.

She stepped back from the wizard and looked down at the hobbit, wondering what he could want.

Bilbo wanted to apologize for her having to cook all of them so much food and put their heavy things away, he wanted to say sorry for her feeling sickly, he wanted to beg her pardon for the emotional uproar Gandalf had caused, but Bilbo couldn't really find the right way to say any of those things.

So instead, he wrapped his arms around her legs and rested his head against her hip, muttering "I am sorry." into her clothes and hoped that she would understand his meaning.

Surprised, Acaelia chuckled through her tears and lightly patted Bilbo's head of fluffy hair.

"It's quite fine, little hobbit, you have nothing to be sorry for. My day has only been long and unusual, that is all."

Bilbo pulled back and craned his neck to look up at her as he spoke.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I'll collect and wash the dishes once everyone's done eating, if you'd like. The dwarfs will surely help; you'll find that they are unexpectedly good cleaners!"

Gandalf chuckled as he recalled the little song the company had sang in the hobbit's hole while cleaning the mess they'd made. A rowdy bunch of dwarfs, they were.

"I suppose that would be quite nice, although I'll have to find a stepstool for you to be able to use the wash bin." Acaelia said with a slight smile. If the poor things could hardly reach her hipbone, she doubted they would be able to reach the counter.

"Great! Perfect, I'm glad to be of some use to you." Bilbo laughed and swung his arms back and forth awkwardly. He gestured back to the table and muttered before running off in hopes of getting some pie if there was any left.

"An interesting hobbit, he is." Gandalf chuckled. Acaelia nodded in agreement, but found herself blushing and wringing her hands nervously.

"I, um…" She said hesitantly. Gandalf looked at her and gently urged her to speak what was one her mind.

"I apologize for my actions greatly, Gandalf, I do not know what has come over me. I'm afraid that we've not had guests for quite some time, and I've forgotten my manners. I shouldn't have spoken so rashly, shouldn't have thrown such a fit. I have not been myself as of late, and I just…I hate it."

Gandalf looked up into her tired, stressed eyes and frowned. Vomiting and unusual moods…he was no doctor, but he worried for her and whatever it was that ailed her.

"Do you feel different in any other way, my dear, as if you are sick?"

"Yes, I always have headaches and trouble catching my breath. I cannot keep more than one meal down and I have trouble sleeping most nights."

Gandalf nodded, and hesitantly asked a possibly offensive but extremely necessary question.

"Pardon the question, but do you also find yourself craving odd foods and using the wash room more than usual?"

She looked surprised and said that this was true. Gandalf hummed and found himself frowning a bit with this newfound knowledge. It would seem that the line of Skin Changers was yet to end.

"Acaelia, I" he faltered, unsure of what this news would bring on, "well, I do believe that you are pregnant."

Acaelia did not react in any way the wizard had expected—she did not question him, she did not gasp, she did not burst into tears, she did not laugh happily.

Rather, Acaelia stared at Gandalf, a slight crease in her forehead, before she nodded and leaned her hip against the counter, crossing her arms and staring off to the side.

"I had expected as much." She muttered and held her hand to her mouth so she could nibble on her thumb anxiously. Gandalf's brows rose.

"You knew this was a possibility?"

She almost snorted at the silly question.

"Well, of course it was; Beorn and I have been together for years now, both physically _and_ emotionally. We've been anything but careful…really, it's a wonder why we don't already have little ones running around."

Acaelia began to explain to Gandalf the nature of her and Beorn's affair.

At first, their relationship had been made from the need to continue the bloodline, but they quickly discovered that their hearts were more invested than previously expected. Now, they were nearly inseparable and constantly craved for each other's company. The hours Beorn spent away from Acaelia as the bear were unfathomable, and Beorn hated seeing Acaelia constantly working so hard and risking her fragile self.

If he weren't so convinced that something would go wrong, they would have been married by now.

Gandalf laughed suddenly, shaking his head and pulling his pipe out once more.

"I come to Beorn expecting a frightening beast, only to find that he has a girl who hopes for children. What a thing that is!" He laughed heartily and went back to join the others at the dinner table, fussing since nobody had saved him a slice of pie.

"What a thing indeed." Acaelia sighed before cleaning the countertops.


	2. Flirtations and Agreements

AN: Thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and/or reviewed the first chapter, it means a lot. The first few paragraphs are mainly about Acaelia learning of the company's trip so far, making it a bit of a summary; feel free to move past that part if you want more cute/funny stuff. More feedback makes me want to write even more, so you'll probably get the next chapter faster if you guys let me know what you think; just saying. Have a good day!

The rest of the day went by slowly, but entertainingly. Acaelia finally sat down with her guests after they finished cleaning the dishes for her and demanded that she take a load off. They talked as friends would, and Acaelia quickly got to know each and every one of them a bit better.

Kili and Fili were the nephews of Thorin, who would hopefully be the next King Under the Mountain. Balin and Dwalin were brothers and had been close friends of Thorin's family for generations. Bombur, Bofur, and Bifur were siblings as well, but Bombur didn't talk much and Bifur only knew how to speak dwarfish. Oin and Gloin were brothers, Oin with horrible hearing and Gloin always talking of his son back at home. Nori, Ori, and Dori were brothers as well, although Acaelia genuinely thought that Dori was Ori's father rather than siblings, and she couldn't help to ask how Nori managed to fashion his hair so wondrously.

Bilbo was born and raised in the Shire and spent his days in his hobbit hole, until Gandalf—who didn't release much information on himself—decided to bring him along on an adventure. It was on that note when Acaelia asked where they had been and where they were going.

Acaelia had to swear that nobody would be told of their goal before she was told where they were going, and when she found out, she was more than happy that she'd helped them out.

"I do not wish to explain why," she said in a grave tone when questioned about her dark glee for their journey, "but I will aid anyone or anything that intends to upset that oversized lizard. Smaug deserves the most painful death a thousand times over, and even worse than that."

They all had their own reasons to agree with her, but did so heartily. They then went on to tell the beautiful tail of their experience so far, and Acaelia listened closely and excitedly.

They had to persuade Bilbo into joining them before they were able to start, and on one of the first nights spent camping in the woods, they were met with three hungry giants that Bilbo cleverly thwarted.

They then made their way to Rivendell through a troll cave after a battle with orcs and goblins astride snarling wargs so that Lord Elrond would help them read the strange runes upon their map. Once they had the necessary answers, Gandalf distracted the others there so that the fourteen could sneak away since they surely would have been apprehended to keep them from meddling with the dragon.

Balin lead them into the woods, over hills, through valleys, around mountains, under waterfalls, until they found themselves teetering on the edge of a snowy mountainside in the middle of a thunder storm. Bilbo had nearly fallen off when, out of the sky, Dwalin spotted a gargantuan boulder flying through the sky and into the cliff side right above their heads! They managed to avoid the debris it caused, and Balin revealed that it was no thunder _storm_ they endured, but a thunder _battle_ between three stone giants made from the very mountains which they climb on.

The stones threw rocks and boulders at one another, their humongous arms swinging and smashing into one another as the rain pelted them and lightning flashed all around. At one point Fili, Bofur, Bombur, Ori, Dwalin and Bilbo had gotten separated from the rest and nearly squashed, but all ended well.

Just barely escaping the fight unscathed, the fourteen rushed into a nearby cave with relief and fatigue heavy on their minds. They were expected to wait in the mountains until Gandalf, who had been following them, caught up. While they slept, though, they found that the cave was a trap set by a nasty goblin community beneath them, and the floor gave in before they could do anything about it. They slid through tunnels, earning scrapes and bruises as they went, and were rushed by a hoard of snarling, pale, disfigured goblins covered in warts and blisters; all were captured except for Bilbo.

Across wooden bridges, the dwarfs were led to the fat goblin king and stripped of their weapons. He accused them of being spies, thieves, even assassins, and then asked what they were doing there. When no answer was given, poor Ori was threatened, but thankfully Thorin provided a distraction. While Bilbo was making his way through the trenches and tunnels, the foul creature forced them to listen to his song of how they would all die as they waited for the torture devices to arrive.

A fight broke out over a certain sword when, suddenly, Gandalf appeared in a flurry of bright light and power. Commanding the dwarfs to take up arms and fight, they flew over the bridges and up the stairs, taking out anything in their way—including the goblin king—until they tumbled their way the freedom which daylight brought.

After meeting back up with Bilbo, who they had feared decided to run back on home when he saw the first chance to do so, they traveled once more. Not long after starting their trek they were attacked once more, this time by orcs who had been warned by the goblin king. The leader of these beasts was Azog the Defiler, whom had been assumed dead for a long time now.

It was clear that Acaelia knew of Azog, for her eyes grew wide and she gasped very loudly. The company all looked at her curiously and asked how she knew of the vile beast, but she only apologized for interrupting and asked for the story to continue.

There was yet another skirmish, involving furious wargs, fiery pinecones, and many close calls, when they were cleverly saved by Gandalf once again. Eagles, bigger than horses, rose up from the hillside that Ori and Dori dangled dangerously from, coming to rescue the company. They were flown to a tall hill, one from where they could see Erebor, the Lonely Mountain and were joyously filled with hope.

They made their way down the hill and towards the mountain, and found maybe a day's worth of peace before realizing that they were still being followed by Azog and his fiends. They ran and hid, letting the orcs run past them, when Bilbo spotted Beorn, who decided to chase them off.

Thorin's telling of the story was interrupted by nearly every member of the company: Bilbo bragged about tricking the trolls, Fili told how Kili was attracted to a male elf in Rivendell, Dwalin recalled that he felt no fear when almost being squashed into the mountainside, Ori shyly mentioned being threatened by the goblin king, Gandalf was proud to brag about coming to save them in the goblin town, Dori dramatically mentioned nearly falling to his death, and Bofur teasing Bombur for managing to outrun them all to the house.

The tale was an exciting and amusing one, but also one that took hours to tell. By the time the story had ended, the sun was gone and replaced with the moon, and everyone's eyes were starting to tiredly droop. Acaelia saw this and was quick to stand from the table.

"Alright then, you lot, follow me so that you might get some rest."

"Rest?" Kili laughed. "We're not nearly tired enough to rest."

Beside him, his brother let out a huge yawn and rubbed his eye, to which Kili glared at him for.

"Regardless, you need to lie down and relax. Some of you are injured, some of you are fatigued, either way you all need to go to bed."

Not taking no for an answer, Acaelia gave them no choice other than to follow her to the sections of the house holding the animals. She moved the hay away from the cows and goats, organizing it in the hallway so they wouldn't have to snuggle too closely to the livestock.

The dwarfs watched this with an air of distaste, grumbling about how they deserved to sleep on something better than some wheat on the ground. Thorin hushed and scolded them all for being ungrateful, reminding them that they'd slept in much worse conditions. This didn't keep Acaelia from feeling bad.

"If Beorn weren't so opposed to dwarfs," she sighed as they began to lie down one by one, "I would have you all sleep in our bed while we slept in the hay. Valar knows you're all small enough to fit in it."

The dwarfs chuckled at this.

"Oh, I'm sure we would end up strangling one another out of sheer irritation before actually getting any sleep." Balin chuckled from the floor.

"You know," Dwalin started with a smirk, "you could probably get away with _one_ of us joining you in the bed. To make sure you're safe, and all that." The rowdier members of the company laughed heartily and cheered him on with hoots and hollers. Bilbo blushed and just tried to rest while Gandalf laughed from his rocking chair in the corner, pipe in hand.

Acaelia grinned smugly down at Dwalin and crossed her arms.

"First, you suggest killing me for your own safety, and now you wish to bed me with the excuse of keeping _me_ safe." She said in an amused voice. "You have an odd way of appealing to potential lovers."

"Aye, but there _is_ potential, isn't there?" Dwalin pointed out with a wink over the howling laughter of the others, his words only making them snicker even more. Acaelia shook her head, baffled by his endless pride and began putting out the candles which lit the room.

"Not even slightly. Now behave and go to bed, before I make all of you sleep in the yard."

The dwarfs muttered "oh, alright" and "fine, fine" before making themselves comfortable and closing their eyes. Acaelia wished them all sweet dreams and finished blowing all of the candles out, but left the flames of the fireplace blaze on. She set aside a stack of blankets for them if they got cold in the middle of the night before going around the kitchen to make sure everything was tidy.

After that, Acaelia snuck out the front door and went to the gate with a pair of Beorn's trousers in hand.

…

Beorn didn't come home until the morning sun was peeking over the hills, but even this didn't keep Acaelia from waiting at the gate.

A sort of routine had taken place when it came to Beorn's change: Acaelia would close the gate after him, finish up her chores, wait at the gate when he came home, fill his belly, bathe with him, and then they would go to bed. It wasn't always like this—on the days where he stayed out longer than midnight, Acaelia usually left dinner on the table, filled the tub with warm water, and went to bed alone. Granted, she found it difficult to sleep without him by her side, but she tried for his sake nonetheless.

They were both extremely used to this routine, so things felt very off-kilter since Acaelia had refused to close the gate after him. It certainly wasn't the only strange part of her day.

She sat in the grass against the mossy stone wall, twirling a dandelion in her fingers, and pondered over how she would explain the day's excitement to her bear. He would not be happy to know of the dwarfs sleeping with the goats, or to find that they had been generously fed. And how would she inform him of the child? Or perhaps there was more than one baby inside of her…what an overwhelming thought that was.

The distracted girl didn't hear his thumping footsteps come out from the forest's edge and didn't even realize that he was there until he called out to her.

"You should be in bed, girl." His grumbling voice said across the field.

Her head snapped up and she quickly stood to make her way towards him, too eager to wait for him to meet her at the gate as usual. Once he was only a few yards away and she could see him clearly, her eyes roved over his nude body in search for evidence of an injury. As every other time she'd done this, she discovered that he was unharmed, if not slightly fatigued, for the change was always a tiring thing.

And then Acaelia discovered herself looking him over not only one more time, but two, and felt arousal stirring deep within her belly. She had half a mind not to hand over his trousers, but thought better and watched as he donned them.

"Your eyes linger, Acaelia." Said Beorn, pulling the pants on.

His own eyes looked her over, glad to see that she had not been harmed by the dwarfs who had invaded his lands. As he took in her scent, however, he was displeased to find the familiar aroma tainted with the stench of the little hairy beasts.

"Do they not have good reason to do so?" She spoke with a cheeky smirk. He ignored her words, although he did find them odd, and walked with her to the gate.

"Why are you not asleep?"

"I can never sleep knowing that you are away from me, you are more than aware of this."

"And if I had been home, would you be resting then?" Beorn challenged with his customary straight face.

"My darling bear, if you had been home, then _neither_ of us would be resting." Acaelia said teasingly, wrapping her arm around his waist. "In fact, I'd wager that we would only be more exhausted."

Beorn's eyebrows rose at her boldness and he hesitantly put his arm around her shoulder. It wasn't common for either of them to openly show affection, and even less often for them to flirt, so Acaelia's actions were utterly curious. As they stepped through the gate, he pulled a lever with his free hand and let the stone wall slowly close behind him while they walked into the house.

"You are in an odd mood on this night, girl."

" _Odd_ is not the word I would use to describe my current mood, my bear…although, I would use it to describe my day."

Shutting the door behind them, the man paused as the stink of dwarf filled his nostrils and overwhelmed his senses. He fought off the urge to cough the smell away and instead rumbled deep in his chest in irritation. Looking in the corner, he noticed a man with a long gray beard and pointed hat sitting in his rocking chair.

"They are still here." It was more of a statement than anything.

"Yes, I told them they could stay so long as you allowed it, and—"

"I do not allow it." Beorn grumbled as he glared at the small sleeping things with his cows and goats. He hoped that with his words, the dwarfs would be swept away and never seen again, but of course his girl had to make things complicated.

Acaelia sighed and led him to the dinner table, sitting with him and urging him to pay attention to her rather than the company.

"Why not? They have been kind to me, told me their stories and listened to mine. They even helped to clean their own dishes after dinner."

"You wasted our food on them?" Beorn asked, his irritation growing greater with every second. Acaelia was suddenly glad that she'd made him that pie and was quick to use it as a distraction.

"Yes, and that reminds me, I made you some honey pie."

She stood from the table and went into the kitchen, cutting him a slice. Beorn followed after her and stood closely behind her, his hands resting against the counter on either side of her. His warmth was almost scalding on her back even though there wasn't much contact being made. He leaned over her shoulder, his cheek brushing hers, and took a deep breath of the pie with a content smile, momentarily forgetting his frustration only to pass it on to Acaelia.

None of this was meant to be enticing in any way—in fact, it was something he unconsciously did quite often when she went to get him pie—but Acaelia's hands had a slight tenseness to them and she wanted so badly to arch back into him.

She wanted his strong arms wrapped around her middle and pulling her tightly, possessively back into his chest, and for his nose to skim her throat as he took in her heady scent. She wanted to reach back and hold onto his thick mane as he kissed her deeply and desperately, as if it were their first kiss and they had no time to spare in getting to know one another's body.

Acaelia nearly had to shake herself from her thoughts and reminded herself that this was not the time for amorous actions or fantasies.

Trying to focus on the matter at hand, she hurriedly took the plate of desert back to the table, sitting across from one another yet again. Sitting was uncomfortable for her though, and only made her more aware of the ache settling at the apex of her thighs.

"The dwarfs mean us no harm," she explained as Beorn ate, "they only sought out for safety, and our home just so happened to be the closest option."

"Did their attentions wander?" Beorn asked, not at all listening to the things Acaelia was saying. She blinked and mulled over his words, not sure what they meant.

"Wander?" She repeated, clueless. The man grumbled with impatience and jabbed violently at his pie.

"Have they shown interest in you, girl? If they crave your body the same way I do, then they must leave immediately."

Acaelia balked and blinked rapidly at his question. Surely, that was not something they needed to worry about. Dwalin had only been joking when he acted so forward towards her, and none of the others were interested in anything other than her food and telling their story. Then again, her mind had wandered for almost the whole day…it would have been easy for her to miss a stare or smirk if one was thrown her way.

Acaelia's unwillingness to answer right away caused Beorn to drop his fork and reach across the table to grip her chin between his thumb and forefinger. He turned her face so he could search her alert eyes, and didn't like the lack of surety found there.

"Did any of them dare to make an advance?"

She tilted her chin out of his grip, knowing better than jerk around and show attitude.

"No! And if they had, then they would have gotten a swift kick, hindering their ability to ever reproduce."

The corner of Beorn's mouth twitched in a tiny smirk, and Acaelia was thrown back into her pool of hormones.

She had seen that proud grin many times: after impressing her with his strength for the first time, after he won a game of chess, but the most she'd seen it was when he made her whimper and beg for release after nearly an hour of tortuous teasing.

They had sex daily, but only once or twice a week did Beorn throw himself into his lovemaking with the goal of agonizing Acaelia by keeping her from the bliss of absolution.

Swallowing thickly, Acaelia looked away and bounced her knee restlessly. Did he even know what that smirk did to her?

"Good." Beorn said, picking his fork up to continue eating his pie. The girl visibly relaxed and hoped that they would get back on topic now.

"For the record," the man continued as that smug smirk reappeared, "nobody could ever crave your body the same way I do, nor be able to please it." He chuckled deep in his chest, and Acaelia was close to groaning; from exhaustion, from frustration, from the sheer need of him to be inside her, she wasn't sure.

She also couldn't tell what had brought on his flirtations. Was it because there were other males present and he was jealous? No, Beorn didn't get jealous, he was too calm and collected for that. Then maybe it was because of Acaelia's staring and open touches earlier that he was acting like this. Her confidence had waned since then for some reason, and she was suddenly very embarrassed by the things Beorn was saying. She then blushed, wondering if he was able to smell the wetness through her layers of clothing.

"Anyways, they need our help." She said, trying to steer their conversation back on course.

"What do they supposedly need safety from?" He grunted.

"They are running from orcs, Beorn, from the _defiler_. Never would I leave them to the hands of those beasts, or anyone else for that matter, and I know that you wouldn't either. I know your thoughts of them and their culture, but you must put all of that aside, Beorn."

Reaching across the table, she took his large calloused hands into hers, staring at the shackle around his wrist.

"You once promised, long ago, to protect the Ford of Carrock and all those who reside in it from wargs and goblins and evil creatures of that sort. Well, the dwarfs reside here now, and with a group of orcs eager to gobble them up at the first chance they get. Will you still hold your promise?"

Her dark brown eyes strayed from the shackles and glanced up at him, surprised to see him staring so intently at her. Beorn had always been difficult to read, what with his expression always being a cold or stony one, and right now was one of the many times when Acaelia found herself struggling to know what he was thinking.

His hands squeezed hers and brought them up to his lips, looking her straight in the eye as he kissed her knuckles. Her stomach twisted in the familiar way that it did, feeling like she was being tickled and stabbed and hugged all at once. The arousal that she'd been momentarily distracted from was immediately brought to her attention yet again, making Acaelia rub her thighs together and look away shyly from Beorn's eyes.

"You are too good for me, Acaelia; too good for this world."

He let her hands go and went back to finishing his large hunk of pie, oblivious to the feelings currently roaring through his girl's body. She smiled at his compliment, knowing not to bother with any sort of answer even though she wanted to say that _he_ was the one too good for _her_.

Beorn hated receiving compliments, no matter who was giving them or what they were about; another trait that he and Acaelia had in common.

"The dwarfs may stay for this night and the next if they wish it. No more than that, though; don't like the smell. If they need supplies for their trip, then we shall provide what we can and send them on their way."

"That is very kind and generous of you, Beorn. I am most certain that they will be grateful for it." Acaelia said happily as she reached for his empty plate to clean it. The man's hand reached out and gripped her wrist though, keeping her from touching it and instantly drawing her eyes up to his.

"I do it for you, not them. You are my girl, Acaelia, and they are nothing."

He leaned closer to her, and Acaelia prayed to any and every deity listening that he would capture her small, soft lips with his large, slightly chapped ones.

An image entered her mind just then, one that had her breathing hard and trying to steady her dizziness, of Beorn taking her wildly and urgently on the dinner table with Acaelia's legs wrapped tightly around his waist, groaning above her as he bucked wildly into her hot wetness with desperate abandon. Her hands held against the table above her head, whimpering and moaning for Beorn not to stop, to go harder, deeper.

"Orcs." Acaelia squeaked suddenly and swallowed.

Beorn frowned, letting her go and leaning back in his chair.

"Orcs?"

Acaelia struggled to speak and make sense of the random word she'd spewed.

"What, uh—did you run into any?"

"No, they were too fearful to let me get close." He took his plate and went to wash it, talking to her from the kitchen. "Had they approached, I would come home covered in their blood."

The thought of her bear fighting—putting himself in harm's way—made the fire in Acaelia's belly calm and even saddened her somewhat.

She tried not to worry and fuss over Beorn, knowing that he was a capable fighter and deserved her trust, but it was difficult. Some days she couldn't help but think about him dying or being kidnapped or any number of horrible things that might happen to him at one point in his life.

Then she would think about the horrible things he _had_ endured and the fact that he managed to survive all of that, so surely, he wouldn't be brought down ever again. And if something did go wrong, Acaelia would be ready to bury any filthy thing that ever had to do with it with a vengeance unknown to all of Middle Earth.

"I don't doubt it." She said. Trying to shake the dark thoughts out of her head, Acaelia was quick to change the subject once more.

"I've got the bath filled, so whenever you're ready—"

"Join me." Beorn demanded, making Acaelia's eyes widen at the forceful request. She then frowned in confusion as he walked past her and into the washroom with clear intent in his steps.

They would occasionally bathe together, after a particularly hard day of work or just to spend extra time together. The thing was, though, that Acaelia was usually the one to ask for such a thing since Beorn wasn't half as concerned about hygiene or bonding with her. And whenever they did bathe with each other in the same room, let alone the same tub, they always ended up doing the same thing in the end…

Finding themselves in need of yet _another_ bath.


	3. Seductions and Contemplations

**AN: Sorry for the wait you guys, this chapter is pure sex and I haven't really written anything sexual before. Hope I did Beorn and Acaelia justice, not sure if I did though. Any pointers and whatnot are very welcome. And thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited my story, mainly LeeUsopp, SmillyReaper, vdelic211, and punkcatwitissues for the reviews. Continue to review, follow, and favorite, it'll make my day. The next chapter will be more fluff where Acaelia's baby is brought to light.**

Beorn was not complicated in any sense of the word. He liked simple things: animals, honey pie, and being left alone. He disliked simple things: violence, foods covered in caramel, and being lazy.

Beorn rose with the sun to go to work and often found his chores finished before it could even set, leading him to entertain himself until the moon shone. When he found himself with nothing better to do, Beorn would turn to Acaelia for games of chess, light conversation, playful sparring sessions, or memorable sex.

He had lost too much in the past to bother with looking forward to anything in the future. Always he was ready for something to go wrong, for death or excruciating pain to fall upon either him or Acaelia. Rarely was he happy, and even more rare did he show his glee.

He wanted from life only the ability to get his work done, to find some semblance of peace, to start another family, and to die in as painless a manner as possible.

She knew what words to use when he was unhappy, what smile to show when he was glad, and just where to place her lips when he was craving affection. Beorn also knew many things about Acaelia, about what she liked, dislike, what she wanted and feared in life, and how to treat her no matter what her mood was. They made each other happy, or as happy as either of them could be with the things they'd dealt with in the past.

Acaelia had come to learn these things over the years that they'd spent together and she now knew the man better than she knew herself, both in body and mind.

For Acaelia to be thrown off guard and completely unsure of what Beorn was thinking was both uncommon and alarming.

Beorn clearly wanted to have sex with her, to dip her body in the warm water of their tub at the same time he dipped himself into her. If the bulge in his trousers that Acaelia had spotted as he walked into the washroom was anything to go by, he was almost as eager for her as she was for him. The way he went about hinting at it, though, was what derailed Acaelia and made her mind scatter.

Beorn had been forward before, he had boldly asked to bed her more than once, but this felt different than the other times. When Beorn was aroused Acaelia expected him to approach her, grab her, kiss her, and lead them to the bedroom where they would ravish one another for hours on end, simply because that's how he functioned. He was usually blunt rather than playful, urgent and uncalculated in his need for her.

This, however, was not that; this was him waiting, being patient for some reason greater than his own pleasure.

Acaelia couldn't force herself to think correctly, to even try and connect any dots or see any reason behind his change in behavior. Instead, she ignored the questions and couldn't have cared less for their answers; her bear had just invited her to bathe with him, and damned if that's not what she would do.

Acaelia followed Beorn into the bathroom, slightly unsure of herself, and felt her stomach drop and the dampness gathering between her thighs grow even more when she saw him. He sat at the tub's edge with his hand serenely dipped into the water and faced the doorway. Beorn sat with his legs spread in the relaxed way that most men sit, which provided the sight of his hard member straining against his brown trousers.

"Water is getting cold." Beorn said, his voice like gravel. His dilated eyes looked away from the water and found hers, freezing the poor girl where she stood.

"I suggest you hurry, Acaelia."

Swallowing the lump which had settled in her throat, Acaelia's shaky hands began to undo the vest she wore over her shirt. It felt nice to have the restraining thing off of her chest—it had grown quite tight in the last week or two, and she now suspected it was due to her breasts becoming larger. After the vest came the shirt, then her boots, stockings, and breeches.

Beorn watched contently the whole time she stripped, even though she was blushing like mad and wouldn't meet his gaze head-on, and he felt a tinge of pride at the beauty that beheld him. His woman was a gorgeous one—scarred, muscular, and overly tan, but those attributes only added to her charm. To him, these things proved how strong a fighter and how hard a worker Acaelia was; made her more worthy to be his than any other woman.

He was sure to still himself and not pounce on her as he desperately wanted to, though it proved to be a difficult challenge.

When she finally stood nude, completely and utterly bared to Beorn, Acaelia stepped into the warm tub and sat with her knees held against her chest. She felt insecure and unsure, like a lamb being hunted by a pack of wolfs, and didn't really know what to do with herself, so she just sat.

She blamed this on her mood swings.

Beorn smirked smugly at Acaelia's unusual show of bashfulness and turned where he sat on the large tub's ledge to face her back. Her nervousness wasn't something he'd witnessed before—not even the first time they'd lain together. That had been frantic and eager due to the lust finally being released, a lust which had been growing between the two for weeks and weeks.

Beorn couldn't fathom why she was acting in a way so different from the sexual prowess she liked to flash at him every now and again. Though he was, for whatever unknown reason, enjoying it.

It might have been something she ate, or just having others in the house with them.

His huge hand left the water and slid up Acaelia's naked arm to rest on her tense shoulder, the muscles tight underneath his palm. He began to rub the area, trying to work out the angry knots there, and caught the goosebumps rising on her skin as he did this.

"You are stressed," Beorn said, "tell me why." He lifted his other hand to the opposite shoulder and massaged that one as well. It took a minute or two before Acaelia relaxed back into his hands and let her muscles loosen.

Acaelia sighed.

"I haven't been feeling…like myself lately. I keep having these awful headaches and I find myself having to catch my breath at the simplest tasks."

Beorn frowned at this news, his hands slowing in their work.

"Are you ill?"

"No, I do not think so." Acaelia said in a tiny voice.

She wanted to tell her bear about the child, but it didn't feel like the right time. Maybe when there were less dwarfs roaming about and keeping Beorn on edge, or perhaps when she was further along in her pregnancy and more certain that the child would make it.

"You work too hard. I tell you, day-in and day-out, lighten your load. You should listen more." His hands went lower on her back, nudging her forward so he could reach better.

Almost as an afterthought, Beorn muttered "You are my girl and I need you healthy."

Acaelia closed her eyes, her lips parting in a silent moan, and nodded complacently. His thumbs pressed into just the right spot on either side of her spine, rubbing hard and then smoothing it over with his fingertips.

"Oh, please don't stop." Said Acaelia in a voice so airy that it was nearly scandalous.

Acaelia's head fell back and rested against Beorn's muscled shoulder, her cheek pressed against his jaw. Beorn chuckled deep within his chest, proud to please his girl. He spread his hands out to her sides, just under her ribs, and treaded lightly so as not to tickle her and ruin the moment. Palms caressing her skin, warm and welcoming, he turned his head and let his nose dip into Acaelia's dark hair to smell it.

Acaelia knew her bear was fond of pine trees and honey which gave her the brilliant idea to rub them into her soaps until they smelled of the things that he loved most. Smelling honey and pine needles now, Beorn felt lucky to have such a dedicated girl and wanted to show how thankful he was of all the great things Acaelia did for him.

"I could smell you the moment I stepped out from the woods. Not just your perfume." Beorn said. "Over the stench of the forest and the dwarfs, even through your trousers, I knew you were ready to have me."

The blush that covered Acaelia's cheeks and ears was lovely. She kept her hands fisted on top of her thighs, feeling awkward just sitting there uselessly, but unsure of what to do with them.

His nose ran through her hair and behind her ear until his lips were pressed into the skin of Acaelia's jaw.

"Never have you smelt so sweet like this. Never have you been so sensitive." Pulling his hands up her flat belly, over her strong ribs, and onto her heavy breasts, Beorn sighed happily into her ear. Thumbs circling her nipples and squeezing the handfuls of flesh, he smirked at the breathy moan Acaelia gave while arching into his hands.

"Tell me what has changed to make you so eager." Beorn softly demanded.

It was clear that Acaelia was in no position to form coherent words, though, as she whimpered and turned her face to Beorn's in hopes for a kiss. His lips descended upon hers slowly and meticulously; not at all what Acaelia was craving. She bit and licked at her bear's lips until he obliged and opened up a bit more to let her explore, leading their kiss into heated territory. Her left hand lifted from her thigh and grasped his neck tightly, pulling him in even closer, while her right moved elsewhere.

"So impatient, Acaelia…" Beorn chuckled as his right hand was covered by Acaelia's smaller one and dragged down her body to settle against her heat, soaked by more than just the bath's water.

She kept making needy little sounds against his mouth and squirming under his touch; she was honestly unsure if she wanted more or less from him. More meant undeniable pleasure and yet another great memory for the future, but less meant she could actually think.

His large fingers were too slow for Acaelia's liking, skimming over her lips and never delving deeper, swirling against her bundle of nerves with not nearly enough pressure. If she tried pushing herself closer to that hand it would only move away to hover rather than touch; needless to say, the tameness of the situation was very frustrating.

Beorn's lips pulled away from Acaelia's to nip along her jaw and down her throat, where he placed lifeless kisses.

And just like that, gone was the whimpering girl that didn't know what to do with herself, replaced by the sexually starving minx that could never get enough. Gripping his mane, she pulled his head away from hers and glared at him. Her eyes squinted in irritation as she turned on her knees in the tub to completely face him, his hands moving to rest on her waist and Acaelia's fingers stayed curled in his straight, thick hair.

By the grin on his face Acaelia knew that Beorn was enjoying himself.

"Are you going to keep me waiting forever?" Acaelia asked him, her voice huskier than before.

"I am very tempted to."

Acaelia had the strong urge to snarl and push him away, but the even stronger urge to pull him closer and punish him with violent touches and angry kisses. And then, before she could decide what to do, Acaelia had the most wonderful epiphany; she didn't need _him_ to find her pleasure.

"Then I suppose are willing to wait as well, my bear?"

Not waiting for his answer Acaelia sat back in the large tub, sinking into the warm water comfortably and letting her legs fall open. Beorn watched her wearily now and was extremely interested in what she had planned.

Acaelia did not hesitate when she gathered her breasts into her own hands to rub and squeeze them just how she wanted. Her head tipped back to rest against the wall, her lips falling apart to release a moan, her eyes closing. One of her hands strayed from her chest to blaze a trail down her ribs, her stomach, her hip, so that her pointer finger could fervently slip into her cunt.

She hadn't touched herself in years—had no reason to, for Beorn was always happy to sate her lustful needs. After waiting so long to do so again, though, felt like it was the first time she'd ever discovered herself. Every scrape against her nipple, every flick against her clit, every sensation she experienced was nearly brand new.

And it was an empowering feeling, also, for she knew that Beorn was watching her and feeding off of the sights and sounds she provided. She was in control, and while it wasn't the first time having an advantage over her bear, it was the first time finding said advantage through playing with herself.

It was all very invigorating, however short lived.

The second Acaelia started to finger herself and sighed in relief, Beorn began to quickly undo his trousers. He stepped into the tub, water slushing over the sides, and slid his hands underneath his girl's thighs to pick her up. Surprised at this Acaelia squeaked, and her arms and legs instantly wrapped around his neck and waist, clinging her naked body against his.

"Not waiting." Beorn growled down at her in his arms, "You are my girl; it is _my_ job to please you."

His hot member pressed hard into her stomach just below her naval and the feeling made her wiggle against him in hopes to find some friction.

"Then get to work."

Smirking, Beorn turned and sat in the water, moving Acaelia around on his lap until they were comfortable, and went right back to kissing her, but this time like he meant it. Lips, tongues, and teeth clashed competitively, one trying to overpower the other.

There was almost always a struggle for dominance between the two of them and rarely did Acaelia ever win. She liked losing to him though; she liked the feeling of being controlled by Beorn, liked to belong to someone. Acaelia also enjoyed knowing that he would always be there to take over if she was one day unable to.

Beorn leaned Acaelia back, his strong arms keeping her from falling into the tub, and began to trace his lips and tongue over every scar he saw. He kissed the large dark scar overtaking her face, the few encircling her neck, the one directly between her breasts, the short nicks over her ribs and belly. Once he'd covered every scar before him, Beorn pulled her back and rested his forehead against hers, looking deep into her eyes.

Brown orbs swimming in unshed tears, Acaelia tried her best not to cry and ruin the wonderful things she was feeling. She was embarrassed of the oddly colored and uneven grooves in her skin, and who wouldn't be? Of course she was ashamed that she wasn't as soft and pretty as normal women.

Her bear knew this. He didn't understand it—appearance was nothing compared to personality in the eyes of any Skin Changer—but he knew it, and he always tried to fix it.

"Perfection."

Tears spilling over, Acaelia hid her face in Beorn's chest and whimpered, this time not in lust. It wasn't a sound made from sadness either though; it was created by fascinated appreciation, of undeniable love and respect.

Beorn didn't say anything because he didn't think that there was anything more for him to say. His one word was honest and descriptive—more descriptive than he thought he could be—so he stayed silent and waited for Acaelia to decide what to do.

Suddenly, without any time to wipe her nose or tears clean, his girl pulled Beorn down by the back of his neck and kissed him just as hard as she'd been before, as if they'd never stopped in the first place. He was slow to catch up since he was unsure if it was smart to kiss a girl who'd just been crying, but Acaelia clearly wouldn't stand for his hesitation.

Letting her hands leave their perch around his neck, Acaelia felt Beorn's hairy chest and scraped her nails down it. The feeling was amazing to Beorn, making him grumble in the back of his throat and kiss her deeper. His grip tightened on her waist before one hand groped her ass and the other weaved through her hair, groaning and pulling her even closer.

Acaelia ground down onto his hard dick and they both grunted at the stinging pleasure that shot through them like lightning.

"Need you." Acaelia whispered hardly able to talk at all. "Inside, now."

Beorn was torn between teasing her and making her wait, and taking her hard and fast right now to relieve their aching need. It seemed it wasn't his choice, though, and a sound that was mixed between a choke and a groan was ripped from his throat as Acaelia gripped him in her hand and impaled herself on his cock.

Her head fell back, her hair sweeping over her shoulders to dip into the water, and her hips started to work against his, quickly finding that blessed spot within and constantly hitting the head of his dick against it.

Her bear didn't thrust into her or pull her down on him, knowing that she wanted to find her own pleasure first, and the thought of being used for her gratification only aroused Beorn even more for some reason.

"Acaelia." Beorn sighed into her throat, his arms wrapped around her sides with his hands roving her back. She tried to say his name as well, to tell him how great she felt and how much she loved him, but Acaelia couldn't make any sound other than a moan or whimper.

His arm moved so that he could rub and swirl her clit with his finger and his lips kissed down her slender neck until they wrapped around a pert nipple and sucked, making his girl arch and cry out.

It didn't take long at all for Acaelia to finish—she was already close by the time he was inside her. Her nails dug into his shoulders and her mouth fell open to let her cry out, enjoying the immense bliss she was thrown into. Stars burst before Acaelia's eyes and all the air left her body as she flew higher and higher into the sky.

Beorn pulled her into his chest and held her tightly while she floated down from her euphoria and Acaelia felt extremely faint, ready to topple over as soon as her orgasm ended.

Acaelia couldn't stop breathing hard, her heart pounding furiously in her chest, and when she opened her eyes she had tunnel vision. She panted into his chest, honestly concerned that she might suddenly fall unconscious—a worry that she shared with Beorn.

"Breathe." He muttered into her hair as he scooped up water into his hand and poured it over her sweaty shoulders.

Acaelia finally calmed her heart and lungs and noticed that Beorn was washing her. Suds were dripping down her back and chest, turning the water that they sat in to a misty gray color. He started to run his wet hands through her hair, pulling it from the one side it usually stayed at and pouring water onto it.

She nearly laughed, thinking that even though Beorn was the one who had been running through the bushes and tall grasses of the forest, he still made sure she was cleaned first.

Hugging Beorn tighter, Acaelia rested her head against his hairy scarred chest and listened to the beating of his heart. It was faster and louder than hers—due to his being a Skin Changer—reminding Acaelia of war drums. She closed her eyes and relaxed greatly against the heavenly tugs in her hair and lulling pounding in her bear's chest.

For minutes they sat like that, Acaelia snuggling her bear and Beorn grooming his girl.

…

It wasn't long before Acaelia took care of Beorn's still throbbing member that had been patiently waiting while they bathed one another.

Her bear had gathered his girl in his arms and taken her to their bed. They spent hours together, hot and fast, slow and romantic, teasing and silly, solemn and respectful. The night was perhaps the most memorable of them all, and not just because of the amazing sex.

After their aching muscles refused to move and their lust had been tamed, they laid together on their sides facing one another under the quilts and furs. They were both exhausted and ready for sleep. Beorn was too tired to keep his eyes open and Acaelia couldn't take hers off of him, gazing lovingly at the father of her future child.

She wondered how far along she was. She'd been feeling sick for almost two weeks now, and symptoms didn't start right off the bat, so maybe a month? Then Acaelia wondered which night it was that the child was conceived and what exactly they'd done differently that could have impregnated her. Was it the night where they couldn't make it to the bed and just made love on their bedroom carpet? Or perhaps it was when he met her at the gate after making the change and took her against the stone wall—that _was_ the whole reason why it needed repairing in the first place.

Whatever it was and whatever they'd done differently, Acaelia was glad to have his child. She thought about cradling a tiny child in her arms—girl or boy, pureblood or halfblood, it made no difference to her. The child's first steps, the child's first words…that would all come later though, what they would need to focus on now was _where_ the child would sleep. Beorn was a skilled craftsman, and the idea of him making something as sweet and tiny as a crib made Acaelia's heart warm.

He was easily the best thing to ever happen in her entire life.

"I will be yours," Acaelia muttered into his hot skin, "so long as you swear to be mine."

"I will take you to be mine," Beorn said back, "if only you would let me be yours."

Acaelia fell asleep with a smile gracing her ragged features and her bear kept her held close the whole time they slept together.


	4. Announcements and Celebrations

**AN: This is probably my favorite chapter and was honestly the inspiration for writing the whole story; Beorn's reaction when he hears that he will be a father. Its just adorable to think of this huge, hairy, muscular man that talks like a neanderthal suddenly gushing over a baby. I hope you guys like it as much as I do. And thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited, more specifically: vdelic211, angel897, and lillisa34. Please continue to review, follow, and favorite, it really makes my day when you do!**

The sun rose over the hills first, then over the treetops, before shining above the stone wall encircling the cottage and through the house's windows. It would certainly be a bright and warm day, one to bask and relax in.

Acaelia, as usual, was the first one awake. She sat up from the bed and stretched languidly with an enormous smile on her face, her joints popping, her body sighing blissfully as it remembered last night's adventure.

Due to the errands she was appointed to, Acaelia got up before Beorn to start breakfast and feed and clean up after the livestock.

She was in charge of cooking the meals, cleaning, and caring for the animals while Beorn managed the crops, firewood, and fixing any broken furniture. On some days, when one was feeling more tired or sore than the other, jobs would be switched or chores would be put off to the next day.

The first thing Acaelia did this morning though, rather than starting up the oven or gathering some eggs for breakfast, was run straight to the chamber pot to relieve herself. Never before had she felt such a sudden and almost _violent_ urge to pee, and once the deed was done, she was almost concerned with the fact that she'd nearly wet her pants on the way to the wash closet.

After relieving herself and getting dressed—she didn't bother with pushing her hair to one side or brushing it, figuring that it didn't matter much—she went to the horse's stalls and looked down at the hay-covered ground where all of her guests, except for Gandalf, slept soundly. The wizard was still resting in the rocking chair with hat tipped to the side and a pipe hanging lazily from his lips, the ambers long since gone out.

Acaelia stared at the fourteen lying on the floor, each one of them in a different position and snoring loudly, and smiled with an odd fondness in her heart. Some of the brothers were huddled close together, others outright cuddling one another, and Acaelia marveled at the relationship between close siblings. Never had she and her sister been so friendly to one another, even though they did love each other; was it common for dwarf families to be tied so closely together?

Watching the company as they slept, she recalled the wonderful stories they'd told her. They were each rather funny, in their own way, and had been caring towards her when she'd been sick. She considered these people to be her friends now, and was slightly sad that they had to leave.

Maybe, she suddenly hoped, they would all visit her again—or better yet, her and Beorn could pay _them_ a visit! In the mountains of Erebor or not, she would happily travel for the sake of seeing the company once more. It was suddenly decided, then, that this would not be the last meeting between her and the company.

With a content grin, Acaelia went to the kitchen and began cooking.

She was feeling much better, for some reason. There were no headaches, no vomiting, no trouble breathing or feeling tired; Acaelia could even say that she felt elated or energized. She suspected that it had something to do with last night's activities, however obnoxious that sounded. Something in her belly, in her heart and mind, told her that today would be a _very_ nice day.

Suddenly, just as she plated another omelet, Beorn's thick pair of nude arms wrapped around Acaelia's middle just under her breasts. His body pressed entirely against hers and his nose nestled into her hair to take a deep breath of her scent. Surprised, Acaelia jumped and nearly flicked the spatula out of her hand, but calmed when she recognized the feeling of her bear. Grinning with a feeling of deep and endless content in her heart, she leaned back into him and rested her forearms against Beorn's.

"Good morning, my bear." She whispered, not wanting to wake any of her guests up.

"Good morning, my girl." Beorn muttered back. He began slowly rocking them back and forth, not willing to let his hold on her loosen. They enjoyed the embrace in a soothing silence.

Meanwhile, neither Beorn nor Acaelia had noticed the sound of hay being rustled as the dwarfs began to stir from their slumber. Some members of the company had awoken as soon as Acaelia came out from her bedroom—Bilbo, Gandalf, Dwalin, and Thorin. They had all been listening closely since then, had even wondered what the Skin Changer had been thinking of when she gazed upon their supposedly sleeping forms.

The moment that Beorn walked into the room as well, though, Thorin and Dwalin were battle ready while Bilbo and Gandalf were ready to wake the others and flee if required. They all knew the potential danger of Beorn and were unwilling to risk anyone's life if he were to suddenly make the change and become the bear they'd been introduced to.

Thorin listened carefully to Acaelia and Beorn as they spoke, Gandalf watched from his chair through slit eyes, Bilbo bit his lip and blushed for intruding on a romantic situation, and Dwalin silently seethed in slight jealousy.

"Come back to bed with me." Beorn suggested, tightening his grip just a bit. Acaelia giggled, a sound that was not common to hear from her, and shook her head.

"I cannot, I am in the middle of making eggs." She gave the spatula a little wave as proof. "They are already getting cold."

Beorn grunted and moved his face around in her hair in protest.

"Put the stove's fire out and leave breakfast for later. I need your warmth beside me on this morning."

The hot feeling that spread through Acaelia's chest was not born out of lust, but purely from knowing that she was loved. To be needed by someone, to be wanted and cared for; it was all she had dreamed of in her life before Beorn. And her bear, her kind, protective, loving bear brought that dream to life every day that they were together. Tears sprung to her eyes and, tossing the spatula onto the counter, she spun quickly and wrapped her tiny scarred arms around Beorn and hid her face in his hairy chest.

It was Beorn's turn to be startled as his girl suddenly seemed to try and merge herself into his chest with a harsh hug. He hesitated only a second before quickly hugging her back and stroking her messy hair, frowning in confusion and worry.

"My girl, what has upset you?" Beorn hastily asked.

Acaelia sniffed and shook her head in embarrassment.

At the sound of her distraught hiccups the eavesdropping guests all shuffled where they were with a few sitting up and cast each other weary glances. Some were just as confused as Beorn, but others were simply angry that he'd upset Acaelia. Thorin already was sitting up straight and had his hand at the hilt of his weapon, Dwalin eagerly following his league.

"Tell me Acaelia." Beorn grumbled, still sounding concerned.

Acaelia took a few deep, stuttering breaths, but did not move her face away from his warm chest. She simply felt too foolish to show her face.

"I just…I love you so much!"

The quiet which overtook the house was heavy and long lasting when, nearly all at once, the men let out a slight sigh of relief. Beorn's release of breath was loud enough that he and Acaelia didn't hear the others.

"Oh, Acaelia," Beorn sighed. Never would he understand the complex thoughts of women, Beorn admitted to himself. He simply knew that they tended to torture themselves more often than not.

"I love you and everything you do for me and I fear that I—I cannot repay you well enough." She rambled. "I fear that I cannot make you feel the way you make me feel."

Pulling back from her, his hands caressed the sides of Acaelia's face and tilted her head until she was looking him in the eye. Her cheeks were red and her eyes puffy. She reached up and held onto Beorn's wrists, trying to find comfort there since he wouldn't let her hide away shamefully.

"My girl, love is not something to weep about. You must not cry for anything, not a _single_ thing…for I cannot stand to see your tears." He wiped her tears away and held her cheek fondly in the palm of his hand.

"Our homes and our hearts have been filled with sorrow and doubt all too often, my girl. We have survived our hardships, however difficult, and now we must continue in life with _joy_. Your smile, your laughter and happiness; _that_ is what our home must be filled with, Acaelia, for when I witness all of these things, I know that I will fight to live as long as possible if only to see you grin and be glad yet again."

He rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes.

"You fear that I do not love and respect you as you love and respect me, but I swear to you my girl, never have I been more grateful for surviving everything—the battles and the wars and the torture—than the moment you decided to stay with me. To watch you live happily because of the things that I do; that is what makes _me_ happy.

"I do not say it enough, Acaelia, I know this, but my next words are a truth to be worshipped throughout Middle Earth until the end of time."

Beorn's bright brown eyes opened and looked deeply into Acaelia's as he spoke slowly and clearly.

"I love you."

Acaelia let out a strangled whimper before she threw her arms around his neck and crashed her lips against his.

Thorin's company had listened with keen ears the whole time, unwilling to miss a single word spoken. Thorin had an air of being unimpressed, but deep in his heart he was truly moved by Beorn's emotional speech. Far too long had it been since he'd witnessed one proclaim their affection to another, and it was a kind reminder that the world wasn't all evil dragons and poor miners.

He clearly wasn't the only one who had been hit rather hard by the Skin Changer's words of love and happiness, for Kili, Dori, Oin, Gloin, and Bofur were trying to hide their red and teary eyes. And the sight of big old Bombur, sitting against the wall with no expression other than his bottom lip jutting out in a pout, having large tears silently slide down his chubby cheeks and into his beard was almost amusing.

Thorin wondered if he should scold them all for being so horribly sentimental on such an important journey, but one look over his shoulder at the couple embraced in an intense kiss made him think otherwise. Perhaps he wasn't the only one in need of a kind reminder; perhaps his men needed hope just as he did.

Beorn was thrown off once more by Acaelia's rapid change in mood and action. A minute ago she'd been sad and somber, slightly embarrassed even, and now she was grasping at him with a desperation all too similar to last night.

Something was wrong with her, Beorn was positive, and Acaelia had to know what was going on.

He had half a mind to back away instantly and question her, but knowing that her emotions were so unstable at the moment, he didn't want to risk her thinking that she was undesirable. For the love of Middle Earth, that was anything other than what he wanted her to think. So he kissed her back, fondled the skin of her hips and held her close, nibbled and licked at her neck until she started to tug at her own clothes eagerly.

"Acaelia," Beorn muttered into her neck in hopes of gaining her attention. His attempts proved to be of no avail, though, when she thought that her name had been sighed in pleasure and she started to pull her vest off.

"Acaelia, wait." Setting his large hands carefully onto hers, he tried to move back, but his girl only followed after him excitedly. She stood on her toes and planted kisses all over his jaw and throat, clumsily pressing her body against his.

With an exasperated sigh, Beorn's hands fell to her waste once more, this time to pluck her off of the floor and set her on the counter. When he gathered up her hands and held them between their bodies, Acaelia finally paid attention to what Beorn was trying to say.

"Hm? Yes, what is it my bear?" She asked in a daze, her hooded eyes seeing only Beorn's lips.

"You have been acting very strange lately."

"Strange you say; strange in what way?" Acaelia asked as she sneakily—or so she thought—curled her legs around her bear's hips and pulling him in closer.

More words came to Beorn's mind that he was aware he knew: unorthodox, unreasonable, uncontrollable, unpredictable, and most of all, confusing. He knew that these were not the right words to say though, that she might find them offensive in one way or another, so instead he said the kindest yet most honest thing that he could think of.

"In a way that is not your usual self. I would very much like it if you told me what is going on."

Acaelia's brow creased and she squirmed in his hold, her hands finding his abdomen and playing with the skin there.

"What makes you think that I know what is going on?"

Beorn chuckled then, a baritone sound that was loud and deep and could carry across rivers and echo off of mountains. Unconsciously he stepped closer, enjoying the tickling feeling of her small hands on his stomach.

"We play chess too often for me _not_ to know when you are hiding something, my girl."

Acaelia mumbled wordlessly, looking displeased or uncomfortable. She would happily tell him about the child, but when there were less people around. Even if the dwarfs were asleep she did not want her private manners to become someone else's.

Beorn tilted his head to the side as he appraised her, feeling slightly humorous.

"Headaches, nausea, fatigue, odd emotions…if you will not tell me what is going on," her bear said with mock seriousness, "then I suppose I will have a healer from Rivendell tell me."

Acaelia scoffed and yanked her hands back, but Beorn still held fast to her wrists.

"No! No healers in our home, I'll have nothing to do with them."

"But, Acaelia, you are clearly ill." Beorn said teasingly.

"I am not, and even if I were, I would manage on my own just fine. I don't need some robed _scholar_ telling me what to eat or what labor to avoid. The snobby bastards…" she muttered more to herself than Beorn.

"Anyone can chew up some weeds and rub it on a cut, but it doesn't make them some almighty source of intelligence." Her bear chuckled at the malice in her tone.

Dwalin, and a few other dwarfs, nodded his head in agreement as he heard this. None of them were too fond of healers, scholars, or alchemists—or anyone with a knowledge that was above average, really. Pompous asses that like to flaunt their higher education in everyone's faces were hardly liked by anyone.

Poor Bilbo, Ori and Dori were still blushing as red as the sunrise. Hearing Acaelia's heady breaths and eager kisses, the sound of her being pressed against Beorn and touching him with greedy hands, was simply too much for the more innocent minds in the company. None of the others seemed to even pay attention at the couple's kisses, though, which was something that Bilbo would never understand.

"If you want to avoid healers then I suggest that you explain what is going on, my girl."

Acaelia looked her bear in the eye, her breath stuck in her throat and her mind in a nervous haze. Her wrists easily slipped out of Beorn's grasp to clutch and the counter's edge anxiously.

Would he be happy to hear the news? They'd agreed to raise the child if there ever were to be one, but would her bear honestly love and care for the child? And would starting a family be as simple as Acaelia hoped—would they be able to handle a screaming bundle of responsibility? Acaelia knew that she would try her best, but would it matter if Beorn turned out to be no help at all?

No, Acaelia had to have more faith in her bear. He'd had a family and friends before, certainly he had the heart to help with a babe. And did he not just say that her happiness was his happiness? If raising a child would make her happy, then Beorn should be happy as well, right?

Beorn lifted Acaelia's chin with a light finger, searching her eyes for some clue as to what was making her so nervous. Having to wait for her answer had made Beorn just as anxious as Acaelia was. Was she really ill? Was whatever ailed her so serious that she wouldn't tell him about it, that she was ashamed or even scared? She couldn't be deathly ill, she simply could not be. Beorn wouldn't stand for it.

"Quit worrying so much and just tell me." He said softly.

Acaelia took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and just spat it out.

"I am pregnant."

A quiet sort of stillness fell over the house after Acaelia's revelation, and nobody dared move or breathe or make any kind of sound. The air was thick with bewilderment and everyone could almost hear Beorn's heart beat begin to pick up speed along with his thoughts. He didn't move away from Acaelia, nor did he move any closer. He didn't smile or frown, he just stared at his girl with the same expression he'd adorned earlier.

The news of a pregnancy can be shocking and emotional and usually took a minute or two for the person or persons being told to process the information. Acaelia expected this and tried not to make anything out of Beorn's silence; she told herself that he was just thinking, just trying to understand what she'd said and what it meant.

The fifteen members of Thorin's company, including the dwarf king himself, all suddenly realized just how intrusive they were being. At first they'd listened because there was nothing else to do and it seemed like it'd be an interesting thing. Then when Acaelia had started crying, they'd listened even closer to see if she was hurt or in danger. After that, though, when the kissing and caressing had started, they really didn't have any good reason to keep paying attention, and were now just being obnoxiously rude in their eavesdropping.

Thorin caught the eyes of his men and glared to silently tell them that they had been wrong to listen in thus far and that enough was enough. They all understood and agreed with Thorin, most rolling over and trying to fall back to sleep, others staying awake yet finding ways to distract themselves from Acaelia and Beorn's conversation.

Despite his words, the dwarf king selfishly continued to watch the couple closely over his shoulder, just in case Beorn was strongly displeased at the prospect of being a father. Thorin would not stand letting the Skin Changer hurt the kind Acaelia, especially now that he knew she was carrying a child. Beorn's next move made him tense and grip the hilt of his sword, nearly pushing himself to his feet and charging him.

Beorn's large hands wrapped around Acaelia's waist and picked her up, holding her in the air before him like she weighed nothing more than a bag of potatoes.

She gasped and her eyes flew open, her hands flying to his shoulders to try and steady herself, and felt a wave of panic ascend upon her. Never had Beorn ever harmed her, nor had he done anything that would risk her safety. They argued every now and then about trivial things that were forgotten in a day or two, but their fights didn't ever turn into something physical.

She had once seen him in battle both as the bear and as the man, seen him rip his opponents to shreds within seconds. She had been witness to his fury and irreversible anger and, now that she was thinking about it, this seemed nothing like that.

Beorn gazed up into her eyes with an expression that Acaelia didn't understand as he held her high enough that her belly button was aligned with his nose. He just held her there for a few seconds, doing nothing more than looking deeply into her eyes, before moving his gaze downwards.

His light brown orbs stared at Acaelia's fabric-covered stomach as if he could see something there that others didn't and slowly, as if he were a hunter not wanting to startle his prey, began to lean his head towards his girl. His ear pressed against his girl's abdomen as his listened closely for some sign of life.

Finally understanding what her bear was doing, Acaelia instantly calmed down and let out a sigh. Had Acaelia really though he would try to hurt her? How foolish, how _utterly stupid_ of her!

Thorin relaxed once he realized that Acaelia and her child were in no danger, but kept his hand on the hilt of his sword just in case.

"Beorn," she mumbled, "the child is barely there, you will not hear any—"

"But I do, my girl." Beorn whispered as tears dripped from his eyes and down his face. Acaelia's expression was one of amazement.

There was a sound? Her child was making a sound?

"What? My bear, tell me what you hear, I must know." Her hands flitted around his shoulders excitedly, moving first to his strong hands then to his hair before settling back onto his shoulders.

"A heartbeat;" Beorn said with a quiet and disbelieving laugh, "it is but a small flutter, like the wings of a hummingbird."

Acaelia covered her mouth and began to cry once more, shocked and happy that there was evidence, true and positive evidence that she was pregnant. She had still been doubtful that she really was pregnant rather than ill even as she had told Beorn. Now, though, it was all too real, simply too real for her to reel in her emotions.

"We have a child, Acaelia. We will be parents." Beorn said in a dazed voice, still cuddling against his girl's stomach. Neither of them seemed to pay much mind to the fact that Acaelia was still hovering there with his tight grasp on her waist.

"Are you…is this…" Acaelia said hesitantly, "Does this make you happy?"

"More than you could ever know!"

He pressed the rest of his body against hers and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her and their child frantically. Acaelia laughed then, her fist pressed against her teeth, and she couldn't stop the alleviated elation she was filled with.

She wrapped her arms around Beorn's head and bent so she could awkwardly hug him back, saying "My bear, my man, my everything." as she smiled and laughed gleefully into his mane.

"Oh, my girl, my love, my _life_!" Beorn exclaimed against her stomach.

Thorin couldn't help the little smile which overtook his expression as he laid back down on his designated section of hay. Yes, it had been all too long since he'd witnessed love, and even longer since he'd been a part of it. The dwarf decided right then and there that when everything with Erebor was finished, he would find a wife. He would love and cherish her, have children with her, and care for her until the end of their days. He didn't bother with listening to whatever Acaelia and her bear said after that, for he was too busy with dreaming of whatever happy life he might live in the future.

Beorn wanted to say so much to Acaelia, he needed to tell her how good it felt to know he would be a father, to know that she was carrying his child, to know that they would have one more thing that brought them that much closer together. He felt whole and complete knowing that he would be a part of a family once again, like he had yet one more reason to fight for his life until he was old and gray.

Then all at once he was realizing and planning and dreaming and hoping. Beorn pulled back from the hug and carefully set Acaelia back onto the ground, but held her close all the same.

"There is much to do Acaelia, and we must be ready for when the child comes." He said with a serious and dedicated expression. "We must make a room for the child, and a bed and changing table and a feeding chair, we must have clothes and toys and—and we only have nine months!"

"Well I suppose we ought to get started on that then, yes?" She asked with a laugh. Her face beamed with absolute joy and her smile was nearly blinding.

"No, _I_ must get started and _you_ must sit down." He led her by the hand to the dinner table and gently ushered her into a chair. "No more work for you my girl, no more cooking or cleaning or tending to the horse's; no more _anything_ until the child is born. I'll not risk you or the baby's health, not for anything in the world."

"But, my bear, you couldn't cook a strip of bacon if the pig itself looked you in the eye and told you how it was done!" She laughed as she held his hands in hers. "And already your work load is too heavy, plus the things that you will have to make for the baby, you simply cannot take over my chores as well."

"Nonsense, Acaelia. There was a time before you lived with me, you know, and I did all of the work around here. I survived then and I will survive now. Though, I do daresay that having you help me has made me fat and lazy." Beorn joked. Acaelia scoffed and playfully slapped his large bicep, knowing that it couldn't have felt like more than a feather tickling his skin.

"Oh hush, you are fit as a stallion and you know it. And I simply refuse to laze about like a useless housecat. If I cannot do the chores previously assigned to me, then find me something helpful to do that will not make you worry and fret like a mother hen."

Beorn chuckled and knelt down so he would be at eye-level with her as he spoke.

"Alright then. You may cook, if you think the food I make is truly horrible—"

"It really is, my bear." Acaelia reassured with a sad smile.

"And you may feed and brush the livestock, so long as it isn't too taxing. And I suppose that you could make some of the child's clothes and blankets if you'd like."

"I suppose that it would be nice to know I helped in some way. You build the room and furniture and every other thing our child needs; I'll knit him a blanket." She laughed.

"He?" Beorn asked, noticing Acaelia's use of the word. "You think it will be a boy?"

"Maybe, but I'm not betting on it. You know I'm terrible when it comes to guessing things."

"Almost as bad as I am when it comes to baking." Beorn joked dryly.

Acaelia laughed and squeezed his hands lovingly, unable to tear her eyes away from his.

"You're going to be a father, Beorn." She whispered.

"And you're going to be a mother." Beorn said back, bringing their hands to his lips so he could kiss his girl's knuckles. "Probably the best mother there ever was."

"No pressure." Acaelia chuckled, trying to push down whatever self-conscious worry that wanted to rear its ugly head. This was a moment of joy and celebration, not dark cynicism.

Beorn stood to his full height and let their hands fall apart with a reassuring smile.

"You will be amazing, I know it. Now, you go think of baby names while finishing breakfast and I'll chop some lumber for a crib. Good?"

Acaelia nodded.

"Very good. And Beorn?"

"Yes?"

"I will take you to be mine, if only you would let me be yours."

Beorn smiled wider at her words and walked back towards her, pulling her up into his arms so he could kiss her deeply and press a loving hand against her abdomen. Against her lips, he whispered:

"I will be yours, so long as you swear to be mine."


End file.
